Under construction. Come back for more details! Below some of the major issues facing the Salish Sea, Xw’mulley. There is a brief summary with links to some initial background information. We will be filling in additional information and resources soon.
Breaching the Snake River Dams: The State of Washington has funded a study that will assess the impact of removing four of the dams currently installed on the Snake River as a means of increasing the endangered Chinook Salmon populations as well as increase the food source of the Southern Resident Orca population which is severely endangered. Initial background info here.
Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project: Proposed new marine container terminal at Roberts Bank in Delta, B.C. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is currently conducting a federal environmental assessment by an independent review panel appointed by the federal minister of environment and climate change. Some preliminary First Nation opposition information can be found here. See our Roberts Bank page for more info and updates.
Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion: The expansion project, purchased by British Columbia from Kinder Morgan, would nearly triple the current capacity of an existing pipeline, helping to open new markets for crude processed from oil sands in Alberta through northwest Washington and back across the border to Burnaby, British Columbia for export through the Salish Sea to ports in the US and overseas. Initial background info here. More information and updates are on our Trans Mountain Pipeline page.
U.S. Navy Northwest Training and Testing Study Area: U.S. Navy has proposed a plan to expand sonar testing and other warfare training off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and northern California. Expansion of training includes: Anti-submarine warfare (sonar and other transducers, underwater detonations), mine warfare (sonar and other transducers, underwater detonations), surface warfare (underwater detonations), and other (sonar and other transducers). Initial background info here. Also, recently posted in the Federal Register (8/6/19), is a request from the US Navy to “take” marine mammals with a comment deadline of 5 Sept 2019.
Puget Sound Energy – LNG Facility Tacoma: Puget Sound Energy has proposed a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in the Tacoma Tide Flats. On July 22, 2019, a review was conducted and granted preliminary approval of the project by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The project impacts Puyallup Tribe and other Northwest Tribes and concerns are expressed in the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians Resolution #19 – 08 and is the subject of the film “Ancestral Waters.”